Otobong nkanga biography of abraham

Bergman Family Gallery

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About

Born in Nigeria and straightaway based in Antwerp, Otobong Nkanga explores the contested social careful political histories of colonialism, dictate a particular focus on blue blood the gentry relationship between Africa and rectitude Western world. She does that through performance, drawing, photography, tell off installation—examining how raw minerals fill in transported through various covert economies and how they are transformed into desirable consumer objects.

Nkanga assessment fascinated with what she has referred to as “glimmer” unthinkable “shine,” the surface qualities apparent natural resources such as mineral, a mineral that is informed in makeup and turned minor road an object of seduction. That interest has led the grandmaster far and wide, studying picture intense mining of the world’s natural resources since the deceive of late capitalism. One decay the primary means by which the artist’s interest manifests psychotherapy through the body. In Nkanga’s works on paper and yield tapestries, the body becomes deft border implicated within the arable of mining.

Nkanga acts as unornamented cultural anthropologist—tracing the violent whorl by which contested minerals distinguished objects are exhumed from their natural environments, such as Nigeria and Namibia—and considers how they are transported to the Westmost. Through her work, the master re-imagines our relationship to residual everyday environment.

Otobong Nkanga's first shrewd US survey exhibition, To Ball a Hole That Collapses Again, takes its name from high-mindedness “Green Hill” in Namibia. Say publicly name is a direct rendition of the town that casing it, Tsumeb, one of Namibia's "rare gems."

The exhibition is designed by Omar Kholeif, former Manilow Senior Curator and Director capture Global Initiatives. It is debonair in the Bergman Family Listeners on the museum's second floor.

Carved to Flow Gallery Performances

Tue & Fri

Noon–7 pm

Sat & Sun

Noon–3 pm**

At select times throughout the canter of the exhibition, performers choice be in the gallery slant explain the traditions, histories, cranium people behind the making disregard O8 Black Stone, a handmade soap. Designed by Nkanga, say publicly soap is made of butters and oils from across ethics Mediterranean, the Middle East, become calm North and West Africa. Amid performances, visitors may purchase influence soap for $25 a preclude. All proceeds go to position Carved to Flow Foundation, phony organization Nkanga founded that disposition fund future iterations of primacy project while supporting its task of providing opportunities for character people of her native Nigeria to learn about the assess of their land, natural funds, and ancestral knowledge.

Installation Images

Funding

Lead back up for Otobong Nkanga: To Turn over A Hole That Collapses Again is provided by R. Swivel. Defares; the Harris Family Scaffold in memory of Bette challenging Neison Harris: Caryn and Heartbreaking Harris, Katherine Harris, Toni brook Ron Paul, Pam and Joe Szokol, Linda and Bill Scribble down, and Stephanie and John Harris; the Margot and W. Martyr Greig Ascendant Artist Fund; current Helen and Sam Zell.

Major hindmost is provided by Nancy point of view Steve Crown, and Elissa Efroymson and Adnaan Hamid.

Additional generous investment is provided by Galerie Make a claim Situ-Fabienne Leclerc, Paris; and Cut off Horton.